Incubator



J. S. BROWER.

INCUBATOR.

APPLICATION FILED NOV- 13. I920.

Patented Dec. 27, 1921.

- 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

[n zzezzzor 4 6. flzwaer JAMES BBQUEB, 0F ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI,

INCUBATQR.

memes.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMEs S; BROWER, a citizen of the United States, residing at city of StJLouis, State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Incubators, of which the following is a full, clear, andexact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings," forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved incubator.

Fig. 2 is a rear side elevational View of the same.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross sectional view showing the controlling mechanism for the hot water and ventilator.

Fig. 4 is a detail view of the hot water controlling valve.

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view, illustrating the connection between the thermostat and the balanced lever. Y

This invention relates to a new and useful improvement in incubators, the'object being to provide improved mechanism for controlling the supply of the hot waterto and the ventilation of the incubating chamber, whereby the regulation ofxthe temperature in the chamber is under sensitive control enabling the chamber temperature to be maintained at the desired degree ofheat and within a range of a fraction of one degree.

In thedrawings, 1 indicates a unit of an incubator which canbe extended by other units as indicated at 1?, in Fig. 1, thus forming a battery, each unit being supplied with hot water from a common heater indicated at 2 and each unit having'its individual hot 'water and ventilator regulating mechanism 8 and having its inner upper edge beveled 0rground-to form'a valveseat 7 V 9 indicates the coil pipe extendlng into the upper portion of the incubating chamber,

for the incubating units pro Specification of Letters IEatent. P t t d 27, 19

Application filed November 13, 1920. Serial No. 423,779.

' thence around saidchamber and out into a connecting pipe 10 in which latter is located a check valve 11. Pipe 10 connects witha -T-coupling 12 fromthe'upper legof which" extends an open ended pipe '13 while from the lower leg leads a connecting pipe 14 into a return pipe 15 communicating with the lower portion of the hot water system in the heater2. v

The pipes 6 and 15 may extend behind the.

battery of mcubatmg units, the size of the T-coupling 8, said standpipe being of slightly larger diameter than the pipe 7 so that the ball valve 17 may passtherethrough from above, to cooperate with the valve seat 7 l 18 indicates a chain by which the ball valve is suspended, said chain being connect-- water heater and said pipes of course de- 1 ed by a suitable hook 19 to one end of a bent lever 20. Lever 20 is carried by a plate 20 the latter being fulcrumed in' the upper end of a block 21, projecting above the topwall of the incubator chamber.

An open-ended pipe 23is located within block 21 and its upper end terminates immediately below housing 22'whileitslower end opens into said incubating chamber. 24 indicates a rod leading from a thermostat21 and its upper end'has bearing in and-pro jects through the bottom of housing22. An

adjusting screw 25 has-threaded engagement with plate 20 and is in vertical alinement with thermostat rod 2 1; The lower-end of screw 25 is provided with a seat in which is adapted to be seated the upper end of thermostat rod 2 1. In order to eliminate friction and insure the sensitive operationof the apparatus,jthe upper end of rod 24 is pro-' vided with a needle point and its seat in the lower end of screw 25 is preferably of conical shape. The lever 20 is a lever of the first order and its opposite or forward end is provided with a counterbalancing weight 26 which may be'adjustedlengthwise offsaidlever and held in its adjusted position by means of a'set screw 26?. 27 isia block likewise adjustably mounted on theforward 1 end of lever 20, said block being held inits adjusted position by means of aset screw 28. Block 27 has an opening in its lower end into which is inserted the shank of the hook 29, said shank being adjustable invertical supply of hot water to the units in the bat- V plane in said block 27 and arranged to be locked in its adjusted position by means of a set screw 30.

31 is a ventilator closing plate or cap suspendedby an eyed connection 32 from the hook 29. This ventilator cap cooperates withth'e top wall of the incubator'and operates over a tubular extension 33 leading up- Wardly from a conical shaped or bellmouthed ventilator escape 34. The lower edge of this ventilator escape is on a horizontal plane slightly below the plane of the hot Water coil pipe which is located in the upper portion of the incubator chamber. The purpose of this arrangement is to maintain a zone of heated fresh air at the top of the incubator chamber.

The thermostat 24 is preferably located in the upper portion of the incubator chamber and approximately on a horizontal level with the lower end of the ventilator discharge opening so that it will be rendered more sensitive by the circulation of the air Within the incubating chamber.

36 indicates air inlet openings in the bottom wall of theincubating chamber and preferably oneach side of the water pans 37. 38' are the egg trays which are preferably formed with perforated or slatted bottom in a manner well known. These trays may be'provided with turning devices, if desired, but such form no part of my present invention.

The operation of my improvement is extremely simple. Assuming that the eggs to be hatched are placed in the trays and the doors 39 in the front wall of the incubator units closed, a fire is built in the heater 2 (preferably, coal 'fire) and water having been poured into the tank 4, filling the system up to the desired level as indicated by the Water gage 5. The thermometer 40, at the top of the water heating system in the heater 2 will indicate the temperature of the'water in the heater system and also show the kind of fire to be maintained in the heater. T0 independently regulate the tery and maintain the desired temperature in the incubating chamber, each ball valve may be adjusted by turning screw '25.

In starting the operation of my improved incubator, the ball valve 17 is wide open and th ventilator 33 is closed by cap 31. As the hot water circulates through the pipes in the incubator the temperature in said in cubating chamber rises until it reaches the proper degree when the thermostat 24; will operate rod 20 in its fulcrum, thereby partially closing ball valve 17 and partially opening ventilator 33 and said ball valve 17 and ventilator cap 31 will be maintained in this position as long as the temperature in the incubating chamber does not rise above or fall below this predetermined degree.

During this time, lever 20 is in equilibrium, counterbalance 26 being adjusted on said lever sothat it equalizes the pressure exerted by thermostat 2 h upon said lever, but any fall or rise of the temperature in said in cubating chamber will decrease or increase the pressure exerted upon said lever 20 by thermostat 24;, thereby overbalanoing said lever and causing it to operate ball valve 17 and ventilator closure 31 accordingly.

When it is desired to change the degree at which the temperature inthe incubating chamber is to be maintained, screw 25 is turned in the proper direction, thereby advancing or delaying the moment at which lever 20 will be overbalanced by thermostat- 24, the counterbalance 26 being adjusted either toward. or from the fulcrum of said lever in order to compensate for the difi erence of pressure exerted by said thermostat and thermostat rod 24 upon lever 20. In this manner, lever 20 is maintained in equilibrium when ball valve 17 and ventilator closure 31 are in the positions best adapted to maintain incubating chamber at the proper temperature and any fluctuations in the temperature of the incubating chamber will be readily responded to by thermostat 2 1 and overbalancing lever 20 and actuating ball valve 17 and ventilatorclosure 31 to either raise or lower the temperature of said incubating chamber.

The ventilator cap may be horizontally adjusted to properly cooperate with the ventilator discharge opening and said cap may e likewise'vertically adjusted with respect to the rod 20. The counterbalancing weight is finally adjusted with respect to the ball bearing fulcrum so that when the proper degree of temperature is exceeded in the in cubating chamber, the ball valve will be lowered so as to close the. supply of hot water to the chamber and simultaneously open the ventilator. When the chamber cools the ventilator is lowered and the ball valve opened.

1 claim:

1. In an incubator having an incubating chamber, the combination with a hot water heating system including a ball valve for controlling said system, of a ventilator for the incubating chamber, a ventilator closure member, a lever adjustably connected at one end to said ball valve and at its other end to said closure member, a housing supported on said incubator, a pivotal plate fixed to said rod and journaled on said housing, a. tubular member extending downwardly from said housing into the incubating chamber, a thermostat positioned in the incubating chamber and having its operating rod extending upwardly through said tubular member into said housing, and means carried by said plate and operatively engaging said thermostat rod, said means being adjust-= able relative to said thermostat whereby the operation of said lever by the thermostat can be adyanced or delayed by the adjustment of said means.

2. In an incubator having an incubating chamber, the combination with a hot'water heating system for the incubating chamber, said system including a ball valve for controlling the admission of hot Water to the heating pipes in said incubating chamber, of an open ended tube forming the discharge opening for ventilating the incubating chamber, a ventilator closure for cooperating with said tube, a rod connected at one end to said ball valve and at the other end to said ventilator closure, a plate fixed to said rod and pivotally mounted on said incubator to form a fulcrum for said rod, vertically adjustable means carried by said plate, and a thermostat located in said incubating chamber and operatively engaging said adjustable means for overbalancing said rod, thereby opening the ball valve and closing the ventilator, or vice versa.

3. In an incubator provided with an incu inclu ing a ball valve for controlling the circulation of hot water through the heating pipes in said incubating chamber, a ventilator pipe for the incubating chamber, a ventilator closure, a lever of the first order connected at one end to said ball bearing and at the opposite end to said. ventilator closure, a block supported on said incubator, a housing mounted on said block, a plate fixed to said lever and pivotally mounted in said housing, vertically adjustable means carriedby said plate, a thermostat mounted in said incubating chamber, and a rod connected to said thermostat and extending upwardly through said block into said housing to operatively engage said adjustable means carried by said plate whereby said lever is actuated by said thermostat, said means being adjustable to advance or de lay the operation of said lever by said thermostat.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aifix my signature this eighth day of November, 1920.

JAMES S. BROWER. 

